Lynch confirmed as 1st African-American woman US attorney general

The US Senate confirmed Loretta Lynch as the nation's first black female attorney general Thursday, installing an aggressive counter-terrorism prosecutor as the top law enforcement official for President Barack Obama's final 21 months in office.

Lynch was confirmed in a 56-43 vote, following weeks of gridlock after her confirmation process was dragged into a partisan battle over abortion.

She replaces outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder, whom Republicans had criticized as being a rubber stamp for Obama policies.